Shot using basic, sketchy camera techniques with a beautiful DIY aesthetic, Dragonslayer follows pro-skater “Skreech” Sandoval whilst he empties swimming pools to skate, eats chilli cheese fries and smokes from a grimy, homemade bong with his teenage girlfriend Lesley. What starts as a regular 80s throwback punk skate film soon turns into a poetic coming-of-age documentary that throws up some important questions about freedom, growing up and that weird period of your life when you’re forced to make decisions that have an actual impact.

Since its release, American director Tristan Patterson has won two awards for Dragonslayer (best documentary prize at SXSW and Best International Feature at Hot Docs) and is still making indie films set in California, which means he certainly knows a thing or two about conquering the world of independent cinema. Read the full Q&A here